GIANTS SUSPEND DOMINIQUE RODGERS-CROMARTIE AFTER HE LEAVES TEAM…
In a bizarre turn of events, New York Giants Head Coach Ben McAdoo announced on Wednesday that cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (DRC) has left the team and will be suspended by the Giants.

“DRC came in yesterday,” said McAdoo. “We had a conversation that was personal upstairs and he came in today. Decided to leave. We will suspend him.”

When asked, McAdoo would not answer how long the suspension would last.

Rodgers-Cromartie told ESPN that he and McAdoo had an argument on the sidelines during the Giants-Chargers game last Sunday when the team decided to pull him out of the game. The argument apparently continued on Wednesday. “I handled it the wrong way, but to sit me a game had me hot so I left,” Rodgers-Cromartie told ESPN. “I was suspended way before I left. I left because I felt what (McAdoo) said was BS.’’

ESPN is reporting that Rodgers-Cromartie walked out of last Friday’s “recovery day” session. In addition, according to multiple press reports, the Giants were upset that DRC left the bench area and went to the locker room during the second-half of the Giants-Chargers game, although he later returned. ESPN is reporting that the incidents on Friday and Sunday led to a meeting on Tuesday where McAdoo informed DRC that he would be inactive on Sunday night against the Denver Broncos and fined. ESPN says DRC cleaned out his locker and left team facilities on Wednesday.

Rodgers-Cromartie told ESPN that he would return to the team on Thursday.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS 27 – NEW YORK GIANTS 22…
It just keeps getting worse and worse for the New York Giants, who lost their fifth consecutive game on Sunday, falling 27-22 to the Los Angeles Chargers at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants also lost four of their five active wide receivers to injury as Odell Beckham (fractured ankle), Sterling Shepard (ankle), Brandon Marshall (sprained ankle), and Dwayne Harris (fractured foot) left the game and did not return.

The injuries to Beckham and Marshall looked very serious. The Giants are officially reporting that Beckham fractured his ankle. ESPN is reporting that Beckham may undergo surgery as early as today or tomorrow. The NFL Network is reporting that the team believes Beckham broke his fibula. He will need to undergo an MRI to ascertain any ligament damage.

The game itself was sloppy and difficult to watch. The Giants squandered a 9-0 1st-quarter lead, and yet another 4th-quarter lead as the team was up 22-17 late in the contest.

After the teams exchanged punts to start the game, New York went up 2-0 as a botched snap by the Chargers was knocked out of the end zone for a safety. After both teams punted again, the Giants went up 9-0 on Orleans Darkwa’s 23-yard touchdown run, capping a 5-play, 64-yard drive. The play marked the first time a Giants’ running back scored a rushing touchdown this year. But the Chargers overtook the Giants on the scoreboard before halftime with an 8-play, 77-yard touchdown drive and a 12-play, 49-yard field goal drive. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to running back Melvin Gordon and place kicker Nick Novak kicked a 20-yard field goal. The Giants twice squandered excellent field position in the 2nd quarter – starting one drive at their own 45 and another at the Chargers 39-yard line – coming up with no further points in the first half.

The Giants went three-and-out to start the 3rd quarter. The Chargers drove to the Giants’ 14-yard line, but Rivers’ 3rd-and-7 pass was intercepted by safety Darian Thompson in the end zone. It was the first pass the Giants have picked off all season. The Giants then re-gained the lead on a 9-play, 80-yard effort, culminating with a perfect quarterback Eli Manning 29-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Roger Lewis. Giants 16 – Chargers 10.

But the defense could not hold the lead as the Chargers responded with a 12-play, 92-yard drive that ended with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Rivers to tight end Hunter Henry. It only took five plays (and 75 yards) for the Giants to move ahead again. Under duress, Manning found a wide-open Beckham for a 48-yard score. After a delay-of-game penalty, the Giants’ 2-point conversion attempt failed and New York led 22-17 with 13:31 to go in the game.

After both teams exchanged punts, the Chargers got the ball back again with nine minutes to play. Los Angeles moved the ball 48 yards in 11 plays to set up a successful 31-yard field with just under five minutes to go. Then came disaster. On 2nd-and-7, Manning’s high slant pass to Beckham fell incomplete. It was on this play where Beckham got seriously injured. On the very next snap, Manning was sacked and fumbled the ball away at the New York 11-yard line. On 3rd-and-9, Rivers found Gordon again out of the backfield for a 10-yard score. The Chargers now led 27-22 with three minutes to play.

However, by this point the Giants were down to only one wide receiver – Roger Lewis. The offensive line, which struggled all day in pass protection, allowing five sacks, imploded on the last possession with two penalties. Manning’s desperate 4th-and-10 pass from the Chargers’ 48-yard line was intercepted with less than 50 seconds to play. Game over.

The erratic Manning finished the game 21-of-36 for 225 yards, two touchdowns, 1 interception, and 1 lost fumble. The only player with over 30 yards receiving was Beckham with 5 catches for 97 yards. Against Los Angeles’ 31st-ranked run defense, the Giants had their best rushing game of the season with Orleans Darkwa rushing for 69 yards on eight carries and Wayne Gallman rushing for 57 yards on 11 carries.

Defensively, the Giants allowed 382 total net yards, including 124 yards rushing and 258 yards passing. The Giants have now allowed 100 yards rushing or more in five consecutive games to start the season. The Giants only forced one turnover and did not sack Rivers.

Wide receivers Odell Beckham (fractured ankle), Sterling Shepard (ankle), Brandon Marshall (sprained ankle), and Dwayne Harris (fractured foot) left the game with injuries and did not return. A number of Giants were in and out of the line-up with injuries including cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, linebacker Jonathan Casillas (burner), safety Landon Collins, and running back Orleans Darkwa (lower body – calf?).

Quarterback Eli Manning also had x-rays taken on his neck, but they were negative.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Ben McAdoo and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

POST-GAME NOTES…
The Giants fell to 0-5 for only the fourth time in franchise history. They lost their first nine games in 1976, their first five in 1987 (three of them strike-replacement games), and their first six in 2013. In those seasons, they finished, respectively, 3-11, 6-9, and 7-0. The Giants were also winless through their first five games in 1947 (when they started 0-7-2) and 1966 (0-4-1).

The Chargers broke a nine-game losing streak dating back to last season. The Giants lost their fourth consecutive game to the Chargers, and now trail in the all-time series, 7-5.

Quarterback Eli Manning’s ninth pass attempt was the 7,000th of his career. He is the seventh quarterback in history to throw at least 7,000 regular-season passes.

ROSTER MOVES…
The New York Giants have waived linebacker Deontae Skinner and signed offensive lineman Jon Halapio off of the team’s Practice Squad. The Giants also signed center Anthony Fabiano to the Practice Squad.

Skinner was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New England Patriots after the 2014 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Patriots (2014-2015) and Eagles (2015-2016). The Giants added to and released Skinner from the Practice Squad multiple times in 2016. He also was signed to the 53-man roster in October and again in December. Skinner was cut by the Giants in September 2017 and re-signed later that month.

Halapio was originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He has bounced around different leagues and teams including the Patriots (2014), Boston Brawlers (2014), Denver Broncos (2014–2015), Arizona Cardinals (2015), Brooklyn Bolts (2015), and Patriots (2016) again. The Giants added him to their Practice Squad in September 2016 and again in September 2017. Halapio has not played in an NFL regular-season game.

Fabiano was originally signed as a rookie free agent by the Baltimore Ravens after the 2016 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Ravens (2016), Cleveland Browns (2016), and Washington Redskins (2017). The 6’1”, 303-pound Fabiano played in four games with one start for Cleveland in 2016. Fabiano is an athletic lineman who lacks ideal size and strength.

HEAD COACH BEN MCADOO…
The transcript of Ben McAdoo’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

“(Engram is) in the protocol,” said McAdoo. “He had a non-contact practice today.”

“(Beckham) was in a limited role today and we’ll monitor him as the week goes on,” said McAdoo. “Today was really a jog-thru type practice for us.”

ED EAGAN SIGNED TO PRACTICE SQUAD…
The New York Giants have signed wide receiver Ed Eagan to the Practice Squad, filling the vacancy created when the Giants signed linebacker Curtis Grant to the 53-man roster on Monday. The 5’11’, 183-pound Eagan was originally signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2016 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, and Buffalo Bills. The Giants signed Eagan in August 2017 and cut him in early September.

DENNY MARCIN PASSES AWAY…
Denny Marcin, the Giants defensive line coach from 1997-2003 under Jim Fassel, passed away today at his home in Southport, North Carolina following a long illness.

HEAD COACH BEN MCADOO…
The transcript of Ben McAdoo’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

DETROIT LIONS 24 – NEW YORK GIANTS 10…
The Detroit Lions defeated the New York Giants 24-10 on Monday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants are now 0-2 on the season, having scored only one offensive touchdown so far this year. Going back to the 2016 season, the Giants’ offense has not scored 20 points now for eight games in a row.

Both offenses struggled for most of the game as the Giants actually out-gained the Lions in total net yards (270 to 257), first downs (14 to 12), and average gain per play (4.9 to 4.6). But the Giants defense allowed 138 yards rushing, quarterback Eli Manning was sacked five times, and the Giants allowed an 88-yard punt return that sealed the game for Detroit in the 4th quarter.

The teams exchanged punts to start the game. The Lions drove 54 yards in nine plays on their second drive to go up 7-0 on quarterback Matthew Stafford’s 27-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marvin Jones, who beat cornerback Eli Apple on the play. The scoring drive was kept alive by a 13-yard scramble by Stafford on 3rd-and-9. The Giants responded with their sole touchdown drive of the young season, an 8-play, 75-yard drive that ended with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Manning to tight end Evan Engram (who was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after the touchdown).

Things got a little crazy in the second quarter. Place kicker Aldrick Rosas’ kickoff after the touchdown went out of bounds, giving the Lions the ball at their own 45-yard line. After driving to the Giants’ 33-yard line, the Lions turned the ball over when defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul sacked Stafford and forced a fumble that linebacker Devon Kennard recovered. But on the very next snap, Manning’s pass intended for Engram was off-the-mark, intercepted, and returned 18 yards to the Giants’ 29-yard line. Five plays later, Stafford threw his second touchdown pass and the Lions went up 14-7.

After two punts by the Giants and one by the Lions, Detroit added to their lead late in the second quarter by driving 37 yards in six plays to set up a 56-yard field goal. The Lions led 17-7 at the half.

Detroit did not score on offense in the second half of the game, but it did not matter as the Giants’ offense and special teams struggled. The Giants’ offense only managed one second-half scoring drive, a 10-play, 68-yard affair that ended with a 25-yard field goal by Rosas in the 3rd quarter. When the Giants got the ball back early in the 4th quarter and trailing by 17-10, the game turned when wide receiver Brandon Marshall dropped a deep pass from Manning on 2nd-and-8. Two plays later the Giants punted and Brad Wing’s punt was returned 88 yards for a touchdown that put the Lions up by two touchdowns with 13 minutes left to go in the game. New York’s final two possessions end with turnovers on downs as the Giants failed to convert on a 4th-and-3 at their own 48-yard line and 4th-and-10 at the Detroit 29-yard line. Ball game.

Manning finished the game 22-of-32 for 239 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. His leading receivers were Engram (4 catches for 49 yards and a touchdown) and wideout Odell Beckham, Jr. (4 catches for 36 yards). The Giants continued to struggle to run the ball as Shane Vereen was the leading ground gainer with 28 yards on six carries. The Giants were held to 62 yards rushing.

Defensively, while the Giants gave up 138 yards rushing, Detroit was held to only 119 net passing yards. The Giants sacked Stafford twice, once by Pierre-Paul when he forced the fumble and another time by Calvin Munson, who started at middle linebacker for the injured B.J. Goodson.

Right tackle Bobby Hart re-injured his ankle and left the game in the 1st quarter. Hart was spotted on crutches and wearing a boot after the game. Linebacker J.T. Thomas left the game in the second half with a groin injury.

GIANTS SIGN CURTIS GRANT FROM PRACTICE SQUAD, CUT TAVARRES KING…
On Monday afternoon, the New York Giants waived wide receiver Tavarres King and signed linebacker Curtis Grant to the 53-man roster from the team’s Practice Squad.

King was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He has spent time with the Broncos (2013), Panthers (2013-14), Jaguars (2014), and Buccaneers (2014-15) – playing in just two regular-season games. The Giants signed King to the Practice Squad in late September 2015. Last year, King played in seven regular-season games, finishing the year with just two catches for 50 yards. He caught three passes for 73 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown pass in the playoff loss to the Packers.

Grant was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the San Diego Chargers after the 2015 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Chargers (2015), Falcons (2015), Titans (2016), Raiders (2016), and 49ers (2016). Grant was signed by the Giants to a reserve/future contract in January 2017.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Ben McAdoo and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

DALLAS COWBOYS 19 – NEW YORK GIANTS 3…
The New York Giants were soundly defeated by the Dallas Cowboys 19-3 on Sunday night in Arlington, Texas. Minus wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr., who sat out of the game with a lingering ankle injury, the Giants struggled on offense throughout the evening. Dallas held New York to 13 first downs and 233 net yards of offense with only 35 yards coming on the ground. The Giants’ offense generated a pathetic 49 yards in the first half, gaining two first downs and punting the ball away on all five of their offensive possessions.

The Giants had one lone scoring drive, a 16-play affair at the start of the 3rd quarter that ended with a 25-yard field goal, but helped the Cowboys by taking almost 10 minutes off of the clock. The Giants didn’t get the ball back until the 4th quarter, and their final three drives ended with a punt, interception, and the end of the game.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys took a 16-0 halftime lead on four scoring drives that included three field goals and a touchdown. Dallas managed scoring possessions of 9-plays, 51-yards (field goal); 14-plays, 41-yards (field goal); 6-plays, 65-yards (touchdown); and 7-plays, 51-yards (field goal). Dallas only had three second-half possessions, two of which resulted in punts and the final one that ended with a field goal. In total, the Cowboys generated 22 first downs and 392 yards of offense (263 yards passing, 129 yards rushing) with no turnovers.

Quarterback Eli Manning ended the night 29-of-38 for 220 yards and one interception. His leading receivers were running back Shane Vereen (9 catches for 51 yards) and wide receiver Sterling Shepard (7 catches for 44 yards). The Giants only ran the ball 12 times for 35 yards. Defensively, the Giants did not force a turnover and only accrued one sack (by defensive end Olivier Vernon).

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